On Monday 14 April, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced that regarding her ammunition initiative, “we have already reached two-thirds of the target. We still do not have 100%, but we definitely need to move forward with that”, she explained at the end of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The aim is to supply 2 million rounds of ammunition, worth around €5 billion, by 2025.
Kaja Kallas pointed out that some Member States had offered ammunition and others funding for ammunition. “The Czech initiative (which also aims to send ammunition to Ukraine, editor’s note) has mapped the ammunition that is available (in the world, for procurement, editor’s note) and the European External Action Service has done so, too, so we can move quite fast”, explained Ms Kallas.
“With the new artillery support initiative of two million shells, we are clearly showing that European foreign policy means joint European support for peace in Ukraine”, emphasised German Minister, Annalena Baerbock, whose country is providing a quarter of the aid. While the Netherlands will be sending 340,000 munitions, the Dutch minister, Caspar Veldkamp, said that other countries could do more and that Kallas’ plan was intended to encourage them to do so. Norway will contribute €4 million, according to Ms Kallas.
Several ministers called for increased military support, particularly in the area of anti-aircraft defence, including Finland’s Elina Valtonen, who stressed that “Ukraine’s capacities must be strengthened, in particular by supplying it with ammunition, air defence and all the equipment it lacks”.
In addition to military support, several ministers called for additional sanctions against Russia, condemning the Russian strikes on Soumy the previous day, Palm Sunday, which killed 34 people and injured more than 110. According to Ms Kallas, the aim is to adopt the 17th sanctions package at the May EU Council meeting.
“While Ukraine has agreed to a ceasefire for over a month now, Vladimir Putin clearly has no intention of moving in this direction. He must therefore be forced to do so”, said the French minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, calling on the EU “to take the toughest sanctions against Russia to stifle its economy and prevent it from fuelling its war effort”.
Describing the Soumy attack as “barbaric” and “a war crime by definition”, the Lithuanian minister, Kęstutis Budrys, said it was “time for Europe to move forward with the 17th sanctions package”. For him, the new package should tackle all the sectors left untouched in the 16th package, “namely liquefied natural gas (LNG), Rosatom, an additional package for the ‘shadow fleet’ and additional individual sanctions”. Similarly, the Irish Minister, Simon Harris, wanted the package to focus on LNG, energy, the ‘shadow fleet’ and the correction of shortcomings identified in the implementation of restrictive measures.
At the end of the EU Council, Kaja Kallas explained that imposing sanctions on gas and oil would have a major impact, as these sources of energy enable Russia to finance the war.
In addition, at the invitation of their Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha, the ministers who are willing or able to do so can travel to Lviv in Ukraine on 9 May, just after their informal meeting in Warsaw, while Victory Day celebrations are being held in Moscow. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)